John w



J. W. COLLINS.

STOPPER FOR BOTTLES.

Patented July 16, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN \V. COLLINS, OF \VASI'IINGTION, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN FREDK. ATZEL, OF SAME PLACE.

STOPPER FOR BOTTLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,169, dated July 16, 1889.

Application filed May 13, 1889. Serial No. 810.497. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern.- the bottle; but these latter are open to the Be it known that I, JOHN IV. COLLINS, of objection above pointed out regarding the the city of *ashington, in the District of Cofacility of application, while the former do lumbia, have invented certain new and use not accomplish the desired results, as no cap ful Improvements in Stoppers for Bottles; is provided for the top of the bottle. 55

and I do hereby declare the following to be a My invention has for its object to overcome full, clear, and exact description of the same, the difficulties pointed out, to which ends it reference being had to the accompanying consists in a stopper havinga cork for closdrawings, forming a part of this specification, ing the month of the bottle, which may be inand to the figures and letters of reference serted in any desired manner or by any of 00 marked thereon. the ordinary machines now in use, with a cap In the class of stoppers applied to bottles covering the top of the cork and extending to which my improved stopper is particularly down around the mouth of the bottle, with well adapted for application it is found demeans for securing the stopper in place and sirable to employ a substance which will not enabling it to be easily Withdrawn without impart a taste to the liquid coming in contact the employment of a corkscrew or other imtherewith or deteriorate by long contact with plement; and the invention further consists the liquidsuch as cork-and while such subin certain novel details of construction and stance is largely employed in lieu of rubber combinations and arrangements of parts, as

20 and other substances for the sake of the qualwill be hereinafter described, and pointed out ity mentioned, as well as to cheapen the cost particularly in the claims at the end of this of corking, as corks, by reason of their pespecification. culiar elasticity, may be rapidly and easily In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is inserted in the mouths of the bottles by means a perspective view of a bottle and stopper con- 2 5 of compressing-machines under such pressstructed in accordance with my invention. ure as to prevent all liability of the escape of Fig. 2 is a similar View of a slightly-modified even the slightest amount of the contained form of stopper. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional liquid, difficulty has been experienced in proview, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, Fig. ducing a stopper having the qualities men- 2, with the locking piece or bail raised in po- 30 tioned which can be readily withdrawn from sition to draw the cork out. Fig. 5 is a secthe bottle and reinserted or reused a number tional view of a modification. of times and still form a perfect closure as Similar letters refer to the same parts. well as cover the mouth of the bottle and The bottle A may be of any ordinary kind, present a finished appearance after having with the neck or depressionforming theshoul- 5 been once removed. der B, to retain the fastening-wire. ithin Various attempts have been made to prothe mouth of the bottle is inserted by any eonduce a stopper which shall combine the devenient means (a machine, or otherwise) a sirable qualities mentioned, but have almost cork O, of the usual length for bottles conuniversally failed of success, for the reason taining liquid under pressure. After the cork 40 that the stoppers could not be inserted by a is in place a cap D, having the depending 0 machine as conveniently and securely as a outer edge (Z for covering the whole top of the plain cork. This has resulted in the adoption bottle, is applied and united to the cork by of the ordinary plain cork with wires or cords means of a central spiral or screw E, which applied after the cork is in place to prevent passes down into the cork, but not way 5 its accidental escape, and in some instances, through, so as to come in contact with the 5 when not desirable to fasten the cork in, corkliquid in the bottle.

screws are inserted after the cork is in place To the top of the cap is pivoted abail, which to facilitate the removal, and, in other inmay be in the form of a ring F, Figs. 1 and 3, stances, caps have been permanently fastened or of a fastening wire or catch G, Figs. 2, 4,

50 to the cork for covering the whole month of and 5. \Vhen arranged as shown in Figs. 1 I00 and 3, the bail or ring serves as a convenient means for withdrawing the cap and its attached stopper; but when so arranged, and it is desirable to fasten the stopper in place, concavities f are provided in the cap on each side of the ring, in which a wire 7L fits, the ends of the bail performs the functions of both the wire it and ring F, being for this purpose pivoted on top of the cap and provided with the side pieces having the hook-shaped catches g at the ends, which pass under the ears 7t, one being formed on each side or under the shoulder formed by the neck,-in the well-understood manner. The ends of the wire forming the catch-wire are passed around to the back of the catches and twisted together, preferably in the form of a handle g, to facilitate the release of the catches and enable the catches to be released and the stopper removed by one movement, as will be readily understood.

The spiral or screw uniting the stopper and cap may be secured in the cap in any desired manner, two preferred means being shown in the drawings, one in Fig. 8, wherein it is simply screwed in, and the other in Fig. 5, wherein itis passed through the cap, being preferably flattened for the purpose, and has the bail passed through its upper end, holding it securely in place and insuring its turning with the bail when the cap is being applied to or removed from the cork.

The parts of the stopper constituting the present invention, it will be seen, are simple, cheap, and durable, the cap, if desired, being cast or stamped and the bail and screw formed of malleable iron, and, although the catches may be constructed to grasp the neck of the bottle in the well-known manner, I prefer to employ the neck-wire with suitable ears for co-operating with said catches.

It is also obvious that, if desired, the cap and stopper may be permanently connected to the bottle, as by a chain 11), or other convenient device, as shown in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a bottle-stopper, the combination, with the cork fitting within the mouth of the bottle for closing the same, of the cap extending down around the top of the bottle, removably united to the cork by the spiral or screw, which passes only partially through the latter, whereby the cap may be applied to the cork after the same is in place, substantially as described.

2. In a bottle-stopper, the combination, with the cork fitting within the mouth of the bottle for closing the same and the cap extending down around the top of the bottle, removably secured to the cork, of the bail pivotally connected to the top of the cap and free to swing up to enable the cork to be withdrawn, substantially as described.

3. In a bottle-stopper, the combination, with the cork fitting within the mouth of the bottle for closing the same, the cap having the long depending edge entirely surrounding the top of the bottle and removably united to the cork by the screw or spiral secured to the cap and entering the cork, of the neck-wire having the ears thereon, the bail pivoted freely on the cap and having the hooked portions engaging said ears to hold the stopper in place, and the handle to facilitate theremoval of the cork, substantially as described.

JOHN T. COLLINS.

WVitnesses:

ALEX. J. STEUART, THOMAS DURANT. 

